Carton loading machine



Jun'e 2, 1942. R. A. JONES 2,285,283

CARTON LOADING MACHINE Filed Dec. zo, 1940 s sheets-sheet 1 HHH I Il.InHL d ATTORNEY June 2, 1.942.

R. A. JoNEs yCARTON LOADING MACHINE Filed Deo. 20, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2m. v \,m m m W m m QJ a IIW 2m a b, M D w o O o o O o 0 O O o @Rw e@@@rl, OXO OV@ @j l m C@ b mm c Q s f m wm Q wn m v June2, 1942. R. A.JONES CARTON LOADING MACHINE Filed Deo. 20, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 vINVENTOR Patented June 2 CARTON LOADING MACHINE Ruel A. Jones,Covington, Ky., assignor to The R.. A. Jones & Company, Covington, Ky.,a cor poration of Kentucky Application December 20, 1940, Serial No.371,029

8 Claims.

This invention relates to packaging machines, and particularly to a typein which articles are placed within cartons.

The cartons usually are made of a paperboard material, each formed toprovidea rectangular tube-like container body. with the walls thereof attheir opposite ends having flap extensions folded to constitute closuresfor the open ends of the container. The carton structure for commercialpurposes is folded to a flat knock-down position, and in the packagingmachine are grouped in their flat condition in a stack within amagazine, from which they are successively withdrawn, erected to put thesame in an open condition, and advanced in a successive order in pocketsof a conveyor. i i

The articles to be depositedin the cartons likewise are advanced inpockets of a second conveyor traveling alongside of the carton conveyorand in registry therewith, adapting the articles to be moved endwiseinto a carton with which they are in registry; whereupon the carton endflaps are folded in their closed position. The

travel of the cartons and articles is constant or uninterrupted duringthe process of packaging and carton closing.

The present invention is'directed primarily to the means for pushing ormoving the advancing articles into correspondingly advancing cartons.The pockets of the conveyor f or the articles to be packaged are open attheir opposite longitudinal ends, adapting the 'article in each pocketto be engaged at one end by a finger and pushed into the open cartonduring the continued advance of the carton and article conveyors. Thelingers respectively depend from an endless chain carrier, superposedabove the pockets and disposed to move the fingers transversely andcorrespondingly in the same direction with the pockets, and centrallytherethrough, so that the articles are pushed endwise into the cartonwithout 'interruption in travel.

A plurality of lingers are effective at the same time. so that theloading is progressively carried on for a plurality of cartons. Thelingers and chain carrier, therefore, are supported upon acontrols anelectric circuit for the drive of the mechanism to bring the sameimmediately to a stop or at rest.

It is therefore an object of the invention to load a continuouslyconveyed or traveling carton with merchandise moving coordinately withthe carton and along an open end thereof, and to push the merchandiseinto the carton by a coniinuously moving loader unit, the loader uniteffective for simultaneously loading a plurality of cartons and adaptedto be automatically moved to an inactive position upon the merchandiseencountering any resistance in its movement into a carton, and tocontrol the driving power for the carton and merchandise conveyingmechanism and loading unit. I

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fullyapparent from a description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the carton loading portion of themachine, disclosing a. section of an adjoining pair of endless conveyorsrespectively for carrying cartons and articles to be packed or depositedwithin the cartons, and a conveyor at an elevation above the articleconveyor normally at an angle thereto provided with lingers for pushingthe articles crosswse from one conveyor into a carton on the secondadjoining conveyor.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a detail top plan view of the rear or pivotally supportedend of the loading mechanism, including a diagrammatic illustration ofan electric motor controlling circuit.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4 4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 4 ofthe loading unit in a released or unlatched position.

Figure 6 is a section taken on line 6 6, Figure l.

As the present invention is directed solely to the mechanism for loadingor pushing the merchandise into the cartons, `the drawings and followingdescription thereof are confined to such phase of the machine.

The machine in its complete organization is representative of a. type asfully illustrated and described in a prior patent issued to me November14, 1933, Number 1,935,269, and to which reference may be had for theportions classiiiable as separate from the present invention. In themachine of the patent, as herein, fingers dependingly supported from acontinuously moving endless chain vare employed for pushing themerchandise from within the conveyor translated open-ended pockets intothe cartons. The loading conveyor is positioned to move transversely orat an angle to the merchandise conveyor to advance the fingers thereofin a direction centrally intercepting the pockets and also advancingcoordinately therewith.

The machine is preferably designed to operate upon a, carton consistingof a rectangular tubular body portion I having end closure flaps 2. Thecartons are supplied to the machine from a magazine in which they arestacked in a collapsed or at condition, one upon another. The cartons,as each assumes its lowermost position in the stack, are successivelyejected from the magazine and suitably erected and deposited in a spacedorder upon an endless conveyor 3. The conveyor in its forward runtravels upon a travel supporting plate 4. The cartons in the erectedposition upon the conveyor are successively engaged by lugs 5 extendinglaterally from the conveyor, and the cartons slidingly bear against apair of rails 6, 6, extending longitudinally above the forward run ofthe conveyor to sustain the cartons ln erected position upon theconveyor.

The closure flaps extending from the opposite ends of the cartons areheld in a fully opened position during the period of loading, and thisapplies particularly for the end of the carton which initially receivesthe merchandise in loading. The merchandise for deposit into the cartonsis conveyed in pockets 1 of channel form, carried in spaced relation byan endless conveyor 9 traveling alongside of the carton conveyor withthe pockets thereof in alignment and registration with the adjoiningcartons.

In the drawings, the merchandise for packaging within the cartons isrepresented as bottles I0, and four thereof in successive order aresimultaneously and progressively operated upon for movement intorelative cartons, advanced adjoingly therewith by the conveyor. Thenumber of bottles operated upon is selected -to avoid undue length ofthe loading unit and a reduction in machine cost.

The loading unit comprises a radial arm Il at one end pivotally mountedupon a vertically disposed shaft I2 journalled Within a bracket I3,vertically mounted upon the frame I4 of the machine. The shaft beneaththe pivoted end of the radial arm I I has a sprocket wheel I5 fixedthereto. The hub of the sprocket wheel in the normal position of the armbears upon the upper end of the journal I6 of the bracket I3. Thesprocket wheel I5 has its teeth engaged with the links of an endlesssprocket chain I1, -and the chain at the forward end of the arm isengaged about an idler sprocket wheel I8, journalled upon a stud I9,fixed to and laterally projecting from the forward end of the arm. Thesprocket chain at uniformly spaced intervals has pins or fingers 20,each secured to a respective link of the chain, and projected laterallytherefrom and dependingly from the chain.

The arm in a normal or active position of the loading unit-has itsforward end over-reaching a section of the merchandise conveyor, withthe forward run of the chain traveling at an angle thereto and in acorresponding direction therewith for traversing the fingers centrallyintersectingly through the channel of a respective pocket for engagingthe merchandise in the pocket and pushing the same therefrom into anadjoining registering carton.

'I'he operation of the loading fingers and their conveying chain,insofar as utilized for pushing 75 the articles from the pockets of oneconveyor into the second in alignment therewith on the second conveyor,follows substantially the corresponding parts of the loading mechanismdescribed in the aforesaid prior patent.

In mounting the finger carrying chain upon a swinging radial arm, theloading unit can be swung outwardly away from and clear of themerchandise conveyor, giving freedom of access to the article loadingpockets in the event of any jamming or interference in a loadingoperation. Incidentally, through the pivotal connection of the radialarm upon the drive shaft I2 for the finger carrying chain I1, and thefrictional contact with the hub of the driving sprocket I5, there is atendency to correspondingly rotate the radial arm unless arrested, andthis motion is utilized for automatically swinging the arm outwardly torender the loading unit ineffective for loading and to clear themerchandise conveyor.

The arm, therefore, normally is latched in its active position by aspring tensioned plunger 2| slidably supported in a horizontal planewithin a tubular head 22 `of a bracket 23 fixed upon the machine frame.The plunger within the bore in the head of the bracket is provided witha collar or annular shoulder 24 engaged by an end of a spring 25 aboutthe plunger and housed within said bore. The opposite end of the spring25 bears against a sleeve nut 26 concentrically about the stern of theplunger and is screwthreaded into the rear `end of the bore of thebracket head. Adjustment of the nut 26 provides for a regulation of thetension of the spring 25 for exerting an arresting pressure against thearm, counteracting its rotative tendency administered through itsfrictional connection with the drive shaft I2 and sprocket wheel I5.

The arm is provided with a radially extended lug 21, the free end ofwhich bears against the head 28 of the plunger 2|. However, should anyjamming or interference occur in pushing an article from the merchandiseconveyor into a carton, applying added resistance to a pusher ngersucient to overcome the tension of the plunger spring 25, the arm willbe moved to unlatch the lug 21 from a latch tooth 29 extending laterallyfrom a latch 30, pivotally mounted on a bracket 3| fixed to the frame ofthe machine.

'I'he arm or loading unit normally is latched by the latch 30 in adepressed position against the tension of a spring 32 housed in Ia borein the journal of the drive shaft I2. The laterally extended tooth 29 ofthe latch 30 extends through an aperture in the bracket 3| and over thearm lug 21, and a slight rotative or swinging motion of the radial armII will release the lug 21 from the tooth of the latch, whereupon theloading unit will be elevated by the spring 32, moving the ngers abovean engaging contact with the articles in the pockets of the merchandiseconveyor. This also frees the lug 21 of the radial arm from the plunger2|, leaving the arm free to rotate under the frictional influence withthe shaft I2 and driving sprocket wheel I5 until brought to rest by thelug 21 contacting with a stationary stop 33 extending vertically fromthe plunger supporting bracket 23.

The spring 32 for elevating the loading unit is housed within a bore 34in the journal portion of the bracket I3, supporting the loading unit,and is coiled about the drive shaft I2 with one end thereof engagedagainst the inner end of a sleeve 35 concentric about the shaft andslidable within the journal bore 34, so that when the radial am isunlatched, the spring 31 will elevate the shaft I2 and its supportingand connecting parts comprising the loading unit. The shaft at its lowerend is splined to a gear 36 of the transmission means for rotating theshaft which is in driving connection with the transmission for drivingthe carton and merchandise conveyors or other power means forsynchronously transmitting the several conveyors.

As the drive for the machine generally constitutes'an electric motor,the plungerl 3l is also utilized for a' starting and stopping'drcuitcontrol for the motor, as illustrated in Figure'3.

The rear end of the plunger 2l has an arm 31 extending laterallytherefrom, with its free end carrying a set-screw 3l for contact with astem `39 of a spring actuated movable electric circuit controllingswitch element 40 engageable with a the pressure necessary'to poise thearm in position for normal operation, and to trip immedi stationarycontact 43 by means of the conductor guided and sustained against sagorilex by a pair of rails 53, 53, xed upon the underside of the arm. Thearm directly sustains the chain, so that any load imposed upon thefingers which in'- stitutes an abnormal pressure thereon, as resultsately when any undue resistance or overload occurs.

The plunger is regulated for a pressure commensurate with the weight andother characteristics of the articles. 'In handling light fragilearticles, for example tooth-paste tubes,V wherein any unduepressurewould dent or mar the tube and render it unfit as merchandise,the plunger is spring loaded just slightly in excess of that necessaryto overcome the normal release thrust of the arm to permit the arm totrip readily should any obstruction -o`ccur in the transfer of thetubes, with little or no damage to the tubes. Upon release, the armrises vertically and swingsradially' to a position clear of the conveyorpockets, and the mechanism stopped for correction by an attendant.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a carton' loading machine, a pair of endless conveyors, one forcontinuously advancing cartons in a consecutive order and the secondhaving pocketsY for correspondingly continuously advancing merchandisefor packing into the cartons, the conveyors moving the carton and thepockets with their contents in adjoining 'endwise registration,whereupon upon relative movement of the merchandise and cartons, themerchandise is inserted respectively into the carton, an endless cartonloading conveyor anda movable support therefor sustaining the sameabove' said merchandise conveyorwitl the forward run of the conveyormoving obliquely across and direcv support in an active positionautomatically refrom an article encountering any obstruction in itsadvance into the carton suilicient to depress the trip plunger 2|,eil'ects an unlatching of the arm; whereupon, itv will be instantlyelevated by the spring 32 and moved outwardly to an inactive positionand out off the driving power.

Upon removing `the obstruction, the arm can be easily manually swungback to active position and depressed, continuing the operation of themachine. As it is a common practice `to include printed matter in anenveloping position over an end of the article, for feeding the samealong Vwith the article in the carton, displacement thereof occasionallyresults, causing a jam between the articles in the cartons, and unlessimmediately arrested( and removed, may result in injuries to themachine.

The power control may be readily modiiled over the form illustratedherein which is of a conventional character, as it is obvious thatvariousforms for electric circuit controlling switch devices may beemployed operated by the arm from some otherpoint than that hereinselected.

The rotation of the drive -shaft i2 has a tendency to swing the', armbodily on its axis because of a degree of friction inherent in the unitplus the loading eiect of the articles being translated in the conveyorpockets. These forces are counteracted by the spring loaded latchplunger 2 I, regulated by the adjustable sleeve nut 26 for leasable bythe pressure exerted by a finger encountering resistance in leading themerchandise .from the pockets into the cartons.

,advancingu merchandise for packaging into the cartons, the `conveyorsmoving the cartons and the pockets with their contents in adjoiningendwise registration, whereupon upon relative movement of themerchandise and cartons, the merchandise is inserted respectively intothe cartons,` an endless carton loading conveyor movably sustained abovesaid merchandise conveyor with the forward run of the loading conveyormoving obliquely across and directionally with the merchandise conveyor,and carrying lingers, each for traversing a merchandise conveying pocketfor moving the merchandise therein4 into a registering carton, saidloading conveyor movable for displacing the loading conveyor anddislodging the fingers from said conveyor pocket traverse, and latchingmeans for holding said loading conveyor in an active positionautomatically releasable by pressure exerted by a linger encounteringresist? ance in loading the merchandise from a pocket into a carton. t I

3. In a carton loading machine. a pair of endless conveyors. one forcontinuously advancing cartons in a consecutive order and the secondhaving pockets for correspondingly continuously advancing merchandisefor packaging into the cartons, the conveyors moving the cartons and thepockets with their contents in adjoining endwise registration, whereuponupon relative movement of the merchandise and cartons, the mer-4chandise is inserted respectively into the cartons, an endless cartonloading conveyor movably sustained above said merchandise conveyor withthe forward run of the loading conveyor moving obliquely across anddirectionally with the merchandise conveyor, and carrying nngers, eachfor traversing a merchandise conveying pocket for moving the merchandisetherein into a registering carton, said loading conveyor movable fordisplacing the loading conveyor and dislodging the ilngers from saidconveyor pocket traverse, latching means for holding said loadingconveyor in an active position automatically releasable by pressureexerted by a finger encountering resistance in loading the merchandisefrom a pocket into a carton, and means actuated by the displacingmovement of said loading conveyor for controlling the power transmissionof all of said conveyors.

4. In a carton loading machine, a pair of endless conveyors, one forcontinuously advancing cartons in a consecutive order and the secondhaving pockets for correspondingly continuously advancing merchandisefor packaging into the cartons, the conveyors moving the-cartonsvand thepockets with theiizcontents in adjoining endwise registration, whereuponupon relative movement of the merchandise and cartons, the merchandiseis inserted respectively into the cartons, an endless carton loadingconveyor movably supported above one of said conveyors with the forwardrun of the loading conveyor moving obliquely across vand directionallytherewith, and carrying fingers, each for 'imparting relative movementto said merchandise and cartons for inserting the merchandise into aregistering carton, said loading conveyor movable to anonloadingposition, and latching means for holding said loading conveyorinl an active position automatically releasable by pressure exerted by.

a yfinger encountering resistance in loading the merchandise into acarton.

5. In a carton loading machine, a pair of endless conveyors, one forcontinuously advancing cartons in a consecutive order and the secondhaving pockets for correspondingly continuously advancing merchandisefor packaging into the cartons, the conveyors moving the cartons and thepockets with their contents in adjoining end- -wise registration;whereupon upon relative movement of the merchandise and cartons, themerchandise is inserted respectively into the cartons, an endless cartonloading conveyor movably supported above one of said conveyors with theforward run of the loadingconveyor moving .obliquely across anddirectionally therewith, and

carrying fingers, each for imparting relative movement to saidmerchandise and cartons for inserting the merchandise into a registeringcarton, said loading conveyor movable to a nonloading position, latchingmeans for holding said loading conveyor in an active positionautomaticartons in a consecutive order and the second forcorrespondingly continuously advancing merchandise for packaging intothe cartons, the conveyors moving the cartons and merchandise inadjoining endwise registration, whereupon upon relative movement thereofthe merchandise is inserted respectively into the carton, anendlesscarton loading conveyor carrying ngers, each for moving the merchandiseinto a registering carton, a radial arm pivotally mounted for supportingsaid loading conveyor in a loading position above said merchandiseconveyor, with the forward run of the conveyor. moving the fingers in aline obliquely across and directionally with the merchandise conveyor orin a nonloading position away from the merchandise conveyor, andlatching means for holding said radial arm in a loading positionautomatically releasable by the pressure exerted through a ilngerencountering resistance in loading the merchandise into a carton, andcausing movement of the arm to a non-loading position.

7. In a carton loading machine, a pair of endless conveyors, one foradvancing cartons in a consecutive order andthe second forcorrespondingly advancing mechandise for packaging into the cartons, theconveyors moving the cartons and merchandise in adjoining endwiseregistration, whereupon upon relative movement thereof the merchandiseis inserted respectively into the carton, an endless carton loadingconveyor carrying fingers, each for loading the merchandise into aregistering carton, a radial arm pivotally mounted for supporting saidloading conveyor in a loading position above said merchandise conveyor,with the forward run of the loading conveyor moving the fingers in aline obliquely across and directionally with the merchandise conveyorand perpendicularly movable for elevating the fingers to a non-loadingposition and away from the merchandise conveyor, and latch- ,ing meansfor holding said radial arm in'a loading position automaticallyreleasable by the pressure initiated by a finger encountering,resistance in loading the merchandise into a carton,

Vand free the arm for movement of the conveyor finger to a non-loadingposition.

8. In a carton loading machine, a pair of endless conveyors, one forcontinuously advancing cartons in a consecutive order and the second forcorrespondingly continuouslyadvancing merchandise for packaging into thecartons, the conveyors moving the cartons and merchandise in adjoiningendwise registration, whereupon upon relative movement thereof themerchandise is inserted respectively into the cartons, an endlesscartonY loading conveyor carrying fingers, each for moving themerchandise into a registering carton, a radial arm pivotally mountedfor supporting said loading conveyor in a loading position above saidmerchandise conveyor, with the forward run of the conveyor moving thefingers in a line obliquely across and directionally with themerchandise conveyor and to swing thearm to position the vconveyor in anon-loading position away from the merchandise conveyor, said armyieldingly movable perpendicularly to elevate the nger to an inactiveposition, and latching means for holding said radial arm in a loadingposition automatically releasable by pressure imposed through a fingerencountering resistance in loading the merchandise into a carton formovement of the arm to a non-loading position.

RUEL A. JONES.

